Paved Paradise
by Lock Owl
Summary: "I cannot be seen with her!" Legolas exclaimed. "Lord Elrond, she is hideous." Mirnim's fists clenched. She would show him just what hideous was. . .
1. It's Astounding

Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings.  
  
*****  
  
Mirnim allowed her slender fingers to play along the stem of the glass, gently raising it to her lips and taking the smallest of sips. Normally she disliked wine, but then normally she did not want to take her mind off of. . .this. So she did her best to swallow the alcohol, each small sip seemingly useless.  
  
Around her, happiness was the atmosphere. Many Elves danced and chattered gaily. Torches lit the outdoor pavilion, the moon long set, and in the sky above stars glistened. Some music came from those who did not wish to dance, for no one was forced to dance if they did not wish to, of course.  
  
No one but Mirnim.  
  
Boys who knew Mirnim as the girl who would twist their arms behind their backs and grind their faces into the mud until they screamed for mercy now stood in a clump, staring at her and whispering. Each dared another to go and ask her for a dance. Sooner or later, she must choose someone. Normally they would not have considered a dance with the Elf they teased as "boy", but tonight she looked so radiant as they had never seen her.  
  
Mirnim knew that she looked different. Her hair, normally caked with mud and dirt, and adorned with leaves, was tonight its natural chestnut brown, twisted atop her head so that the tips of her hairs tickled the back of her neck. A small, delicate silver chain ran around her neck, tightly circling around to reveal a silver pendant, an angel, wings outspread and arms reaching upwards, hanging just over her Adam's apple.  
  
But most shocking of all was that she wore a dress. Her customary garb was grey and blue, a tunic and pants that earned her the title of "Sky Prince", for they resembled the sky on a cloudy day. In place of that was a dress of the shade of blue that is the midpoint between the sun and the horizon on a cloudless summer's day. The dress was simple, the skirt falling to her ankles. Over the skirt were two layers of lace material, insubstantial, and the softest shade of blue the boys had seen. Into the lace were stitched many silver-coloured stars.  
  
The Sky Prince knew that she was beautiful. The boys knew that she was beautiful. This was the most frightening aspect of all, and this was why she would not dance: Mirnim was of the age of marriage, or at the least betrothal. Her father sought to marry her off, and the first Elf to show the slightest interest would most likely have her.  
  
Most Elves did not approve of the custom of betrothal. This was the reason a few had broken away, enough to start a community, and formed Leissouet. Mirnim had always thought she would do better in Rivendell, Mirkwood, or Lothlorien, for she did not approve of betrothal, either.  
  
Now she wished with all her heart that she could dance. She wanted to twist, spin, and twirl, to be held by another Elf, but she did not dare. Each he who asked for a dance was politely refused, and so far the Sky Prince had not left her seat.  
  
Earhith, Mirnim's brother, took a seat beside her. "You know this is the only way for you to choose," Earhith said, "and some of them are not so bad."  
  
"I would not insult them," Mirnim said softly, "but I do not wish to spend my life with any of them."  
  
"Well, then," Earhith said. He got up and left. It took Mirnim a moment to realize that he had left her a note. With a glance about her, she slipped the note into her palm on the sly and folded it open. A slow smile spread across her face as she did exactly as the note requested.  
  
*****  
  
That's all for now! Please do not flame me. 


	2. Time is Fleeting

Disclaimer: Much as I would love to claim otherwise, I do not own Lord of the Rings or any recognizable characters and/or places.  
  
Thanks to Vix, Nightshade, Lauruu, Crystal, Lady Fae, Princess Calmea, and Lady Catrina for taking the time to review, I appreciate it!  
  
Now, for those of you with individual concerns. . .  
  
J: How about this: I shall try to update at least once a week until the story is finished.  
  
Lady Tremere: Ah, yes. That sentence was (and this is going to sound really stupid_ more or less modeled after a line in the film 'Shakespeare in Love'; "such poetry as I never wrote". Thanks! (as for the "human" quality, my Elves always seem something less than ethereal. . .)  
  
Meryl: To begin with, tobacco smoke closes my lungs up really bad. So thank you, I would rather not win any cigars. Of course I need work, I'm not published, I'm just a child trying to write. Needing work is never a bad thing. No one is perfect. My descriptions are like that because that is my style of writing. There was very little plot to that first chapter. What I try to do is begin with thick description, so the reader can really see it, then by the time the plot is flowing briskly, description has faded out, so that the reader has mental images already. Angels may not be called that in Middle-earth, but whenever there is a bird and a human, or an Elf, so there shall be an angel. Personally, I do not believe in any god or gods, therefore I believe angels a thing of human creation by nature, by a longing to fly and to believe that death is not the end. The longing to fly would surely exist in Middle-earth as it does here. If they do not use the word "angel", so what? She did not call it an angel, I did, and my purpose is to tell a story to you. Clearly you know what an angel is. Girls have Adam's Apples but they are not visible, and by over meant on top of the skin that covers it. The pendant was hanging on a type of necklace called a choker, which holds tightly to the neck and can stay upwards towards the throat. I did not tell anyone what to do, I made a request. And who am I to do this? I should think that human courtesy suggests helping those less fortunate than you, even if this means in skill or knowledge. Like you, I am human. As for your advice, well, if there were any not otherwise explained to take I might have.  
  
*****  
  
Mirnim was as unnoticeable as possible as she slipped away from the commotion of the outdoor pavilion. She tread slowly over a familiar path, taking measures to be quiet. Mirth made her giddy as she finally emerged onto the stage formed naturally of dirt and stone. Music wafted from the main party, but it was very quiet, so that chirping crickets were screams in comparison. The torches of the distance were but mere specks.  
  
A full moon had risen this night, and reflected on the glassy surface of the lake. A glow was cast over nearly everything, soft but good enough for any Elf. No one else was anywhere in sight, but Mirnim knew the boys were here. After all, they had summoned her, had they not? She glanced around.  
  
"A-ha!" she cried, reaching over a bush and pulling up a boy by his collar. "Pheraedion!" Mirnim cried gleefully, embracing him. Perhdaeion was born a gentleman, as his soft looks would imply; deep amber eyes and blonde curls that would not be tamed.  
  
"So our Lady comes," teased a voice behind her. Vannaliath had the makings of a charmer, chiseled features and unusually muscular. However, he still thought of girls as "icky". Vannaliath was young, in maturity, for his age-- very young. When Mirnim turned, Mannólë stood grinning beside him. Mannólë was Vannaliath's brother, and the two shared their green eyes and golden- brown hair, however Mannólë was less defined, though not as soft looking as Perhaedion.  
  
Without words it was said that only the four would be there, and they were a crowd enough. Although fights broke out within the group quite often, they always made up within a day. Their personalities fit together like a puzzle, and they could run and jump in the trees without any words, yet know exactly when the others would pause. A shared look could send them into peals of sidesplitting laughter.  
  
Mirnim had turned back to Perhaedion to say something, when a slow tune started up behind her. "My Princess of the Heavens," Perhaedion said, bowing low to her. "May I have this dance?"  
  
Mirnim rested her fingers lightly against his. "You may. It is my first."  
  
"Oh, my Lady, it is mine as well."  
  
The two chuckled as the dance proceeded, Minnólë continuing his fiddling, a mournful tune that was perfect for a slow dance, a warm-up dance. When the dance ended, Minnólë lowered the instrument from his chin. "Ready to speed things up a little?" he asked, handing the fiddle over to Vannaliath, who stubbornly refused to dance. Mirnim laughed as Perhaedion released her to Minnólë.  
  
"This is a dance for lovers," he whispered in her ear, holding her arm up in the air as if to spin her. Mirnim could not help but giggle a bit as the quick-tempo-ed tune began.  
  
"Minnó," she whispered, slightly worried, "I do not know this dance."  
  
"That's all right, just do what the music tells you and follow my lead," Minnólë instructed. Mirnim loosed her muscles and readied them to follow his lead. Clearly having danced this way before, Minnólë twisted and spun his body and hers at once.  
  
The music led them closer. Minnólë spun Mirnim in close, her body right up against his, his arm wrapped around her. "See? Is this not easy?" he whispered. She wanted to laugh, but was too taken by the music and by the dance.  
  
When at last, after an eternity of perhaps six minutes, the tune broke, Mirnim stumbled over to the lake. She felt as though she had consumed one two many glasses of wine, although it had truly been but half a glass. A granite shelf jutted out over the water, and she fell to her knees upon it, balance gone.  
  
At long last the world stopped spinning, and Mirnim peered over the rock into the water. The full moon reflected behind her, trees merging together in the inky blackness. A clear barrier existed between the trees and the sky. Separated from all this was a girl, tanned and bay-haired, a careless smile on her face. She was truly happy, and Mirnim realized that she was.  
  
"My Lady," Perhaedion said elegantly, "may I escort you back to the dance?" He offered his elbow, and she took it.  
  
"I would be delighted, my Lord."  
  
As the hours spun on, between dancing, joking, and just general fun, euphoria did not for one moment leave the group. For all they knew, minutes, or perhaps mere seconds, had passed them by. Their merry-making continued on uninterrupted, as if some spell of magic protected them.  
  
*****  
  
Chapters may be short for a while, but they'll pick up as the plot develops more. 


	3. Madness Takes Its Toll

Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or any recognizable characters and/or places.  
  
Iamawriter: Thanks!  
  
Passion lover: Actually, girls do have Adam's apples, but they are not visible.  
  
Vic: Guys most certainly do have Adam's apples.  
  
Nightshade: Mwuhahaha. . .yes, many more chapters. This may be a very long story. Thanks!  
  
TrekandJedimaster: Chapters will get longer as the story progresses.  
  
Iluvweaselsnferrets: Thanks!  
  
Len: Thanks. The chapters will get longer, I promise, but for now I'll just have to update often to make up for the length.  
  
Claire: Thanks!  
  
Thanks everyone who took the time to review!  
  
*****  
  
The moon was sinking low to the horizon when Mirnim looked up. "Oh, no," she muttered. "We have been gone far too long, we must return," she said to the boys. Looking up, they agreed. At Minnólë's suggestion, Perhaedion and Mirnim waited for a few moments, so that the brothers could arrive at the dance separately, then Perhaedion and Mirnim from different directions.  
  
"It is beautiful out," Mirnim commented. She sat beside Perhaedion on the rock shelf, listening to the crickets and gazing at the stars. "A perfect night for a dance, really."  
  
"Why do you not want to marry, Mirnim?" Perhaedion asked, kicking his feet over the water.  
  
"I do not wish to be a man's wife, to belong to another. I wish to belong only to myself," Mirnim replied. "Father says that I am only headstrong in my youth, and I will grow wiser with age. I do hope that this is not so, for then in a moment of weakness I might bind myself to another."  
  
"Oh, I do not think it is so bad as you make it out to be," Perhaedion said.  
  
"You would not," Mirnim replied. "But you know as well as I that a girl cannot be a warrior. I would like to see you keep a house and raise a brood of children!" They laughed at this.  
  
"What if you fall in love?" Perhaedion challenged. "What if you love someone, and the only way to save his heart from breaking is by marrying him? Then would you marry?" As he talked, Mirnim unfastened her slippers and dipped her feet in the water.  
  
"In those highly unlikely circumstances. . ." Mirnim thought about it for a moment. "Yes, I suppose I would. Perhaps even a little later on. But right now, I am little more than a child. You know how I see you boys; I would wrestle with you in the mud, but never make love to you in the bed. Perhaps, in many years. . ."  
  
"What do you think will come of this rebellion against society?"  
  
Mirnim, until now kicking her feet slightly in the lake, paused, staring at Perhaedion. "Who asked you to say these things to me?" she demanded. "If it was my father--"  
  
"I worry for your safety," Perhaedion interrupted. "Because I am your friend. And also because. . ."  
  
He ran a hand along Mirnim's face, then leaned in and kissed her on the lips. Mirnim parted her lips to speak, but found herself swapping saliva with Perhaedion.  
  
The strangest part was, she was enjoying it, in an odd way. It seemed as though colours were exploding inside of her closed eyes, something rising in her chest. All the air was sucked from her lungs by the shock of the thing. Between her thighs, Mirnim felt a wet sensation she had never experienced before.  
  
When the kiss broke off, Mirnim was staring at Perhaedion. She was angry, angry at him for violating her, and angry at herself for liking it. She drew her hand back and brought it forward, hard, slapping him across the face. Still raging she stoop and hurried off into the woods.  
  
"Mirnim, wait!" But she did not.  
  
"How dare he?" Mirnim whispered to herself as she made her way through the trees. "How dare he, without my permission?" Mirnim paused for a moment. "Then, I suppose it really only matters because I enjoyed it. Had I not, I might not be this angry. . .he proved me wrong and I am too proud to admit that."  
  
Mirnim sighed and turned around, walking back to where she had left Perhaedion. He has gone. As she headed back to the main party, resolving to find Perhaedion the next day, she noticed that the torches seemed to be burning much brighter. In fact. . .  
  
"No!" Mirnim whispered. It could not be. She broke into a run, but as she approached the pavilion, she saw that indeed it was ablaze. The fire raged out of control. All the people of Leissouet were there. . .everyone Mirnim had ever known was either burning, or lying dead on the floor.  
  
Reaching the pavilion, she dropped to her knees. Her brother lay before her, an arrow in his chest protruding out of his heart. "Earhith," she gasped, noting the blood covering most of his torso and face. His eyes gazed upward, his expression carved of fear. What had happened to him?  
  
Before she could look any further, someone grabbed her hair and pulled it back hard, thrusting a torch near her face. "What have we got here? You are a rather pretty thing, aren't you? Now why are you still alive?"  
  
*****  
  
Mwu ha ha! I love cliff-hangers so much. . . 


	4. But Listen Closely

Disclaimer: I do not own The Lord of the Rings or any recognizable characters and/or places.  
  
Len: I shall try to update as much as I can. Thanks! Interesting is good, right?  
  
Passion Lover: Being corrected is no problem with me, it's people like Meryl who light right into me without thinking that perhaps there was a reason I said whatever it is I said. Anyway, thanks!  
  
Crystal: Yes, you are right! Thanks. (  
  
Paper Crane: First off, awesome name (I recently made one thousand origami cranes). Thanks, Mary-Sue seems to be way overused--it is good to know that not everyone thinks an original character is a Mary-Sue! Ah, yes, the titles of the chapters are lyrics to The Time Warp from Rocky Horror Picture Show.  
  
The-ringspell: No! Please don't kill me! It wasn't my fault! I had to my vocab, and then. . .and I. . .but I got this chapter up eventually! Please don't kill me! (just kidding, of course. But I would appreciate it if you did not kill me.)  
  
Nostamoon: Thanks, and the worse the cliffhanger, the better the surprise, usually!  
  
TrekandJedimaster: Don't worry, I'm more or less here for the next three months! So I can post as many "ruddy cliffhangers" as needed. . .mwu haha. . .  
  
Jheskia: Legolas will probably come in in the chapter after this one, maybe the one after that. But I promise plenty of Mirkwood-Elf in this story! Lol  
  
Aga_xris: Rivendell was not attacked, but Mirnim's hometown was. Mirnim and the boy are both around the same age, but both young teens. Or the Elven equivalent of that. Why, thank you.  
  
Okay, hope everyone enjoys this chapter! Good readers review ;)  
  
*****  
  
Mirnim's feet pounded on the caked dirt. Her face and head burned, shooting painful streaks of light through her mind. Her lungs burned and screamed for air, which came with such great pain through her parched, closed throat. The aches throughout her body were intense, and the mental anguish that threatened even more so, but she would not--could not--stop running.  
  
Mirnim tried not to think about what had happened since the night before. Had it only been the night before? It must have been. One night since she had been found by the other Elf. That night they had not killed her, but she had been afraid that they would. There were perhaps ten of them in total; he one who had found Mirnim brought her before the others. They had said many things to her, cruel, unthinkable things, but she had been spared hearing their words. The image of her dead brother, bodies strewn about, haunted her still.  
  
Finally it had been decided that she would not be killed. Instead, Mirnim's hands and legs were bound, and she was locked for the night in a cold cellar. She had known that day had come only because of the light coming in through the cracked cellar door. The bindings on her ankles and wrists had not been cut, but bit into her flesh.  
  
The visitor had come just after nightfall. It was the same male that had first found Mirnim, the same one that had brought her before the others, held prisoner by one arm wrenched behind her back, his other hand buried in her hair, which he pulled taut. She could, even in the cellar, feel the dull side of a blade against her skin, hear the fabric ripping. . .he was the one who had brought this upon her, and she hated him.  
  
Ulkaer, Mirnim named him, Evil One. He came to her, his face hidden in shadow, breathing heavily as though with apprehension. She wanted to scream, but what good would it do? She had not the courage to sneer something nasty at him; Mirnim had been broken. Instead she whimpered.  
  
"Shh," Ulkaer commanded, putting a finger to her lips. She recoiled. "Quiet down, now!" he commanded in a hiss, and Mirnim obeyed. Ulkaer drew out a knife, and she was frightened enough that she nearly squealed, but feared that blade too badly. To her surprise, he cut her free. "Go now, and do not dare look back. If I see you again I will kill you," he whispered, handing her some meager supplies--a small amount of water and a tiny knife.  
  
Mirnim nodded. Ulkaer disappeared, and she got unsteadily to her feet. Slowly, strangely, Mirnim go her bearings. She fled the cellar to the woods, and ran for all she was worth. Where she was going she knew not, and what she would do she dared not consider. All her thought, every fibre of her being, was bent on getting away.  
  
As the sun rose, her terror continued but her pains were only beginning. All through the morning she ran, into the afternoon, beyond normal physical capabilities. Pains troubled her, but she ignored them, thinking only of survival. How far she had gone she knew not, but Mirnim could take no more. In a daze she collapsed beside a stream.  
  
Breathing harder than ever before, Mirnim dipped her hands into the stream to take a sip. She had been given water by Ulkaer, but swallowed it as best she could earlier. Now she brought her cupped hands to her mouth and tipped her head backwards. Her throat was too closed up to take in the drink, which dribbled down her front. With a moan Mirnim reached out to try again, desperate for water. This time her world went black, and she collapsed. 


	5. Not for Very Much Longer

Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or any recognizable characters and/or places thereof.  
  
The_ringspell: Ah, so my life is safe! For a while at least. . . yeah, that plot is probably going to either thicken a lot more or. . .well, or stay thin.  
  
Teresa: Then check again. And really, the arrogance and condescending manner? That is not necessary.  
  
Passion Lover: As for what's going to happen to her, quite a bit--I tend to make my characters suffer. Why they did that is explained later, you'll just have to wait. I'll try to post more often, though.  
  
Iamawriter: Thanks! As for the chapters, hey, there are going to be a lot, at least.  
  
Len: What happened. . .it is explained a little more in this chapter or the next, but basically her village was attack and everybody died.  
  
Tap-dancing hobbit: So things would appear! Mwu haha. . .Thanks, and I think I will post, tempting as it is to tell you.  
  
Aga_xris: You'll find out. . .  
  
Sorry this chapter took so long!  
  
*****  
  
"Elladan, you are hiding something!" Legolas exclaimed. "What is it? Have you a lover?"  
  
"No, have you?" Elladan replied slyly. "Some beautiful Elf-maiden back in Mirkwood?"  
  
"No, but your sister is rather attractive. . ." Legolas joked, but Elladan did not take this joke well. He swung around, grabbed Legolas's collar, and smashed Legolas into the mud by the river.  
  
"You keep your hands off my sister!" Elladan shouted.  
  
"It was only a joke, Elladan," Legolas replied with a laugh. "Why are you so offended?"  
  
"I am sorry," Elladan replied, helping his friend to his feet. "Lady Galadriel told Atara about one of her 'visions', and I happened to overhear. Arwen is to fall in love, she says, with someone dangerous. She says it could be her doom."  
  
"Well I am really sorry, Elladan, I never meant to offend you, I didn't know," Legolas said.  
  
"It is fine," Elladan said with a shrug, and they continued on their way up the stream. "Say, do you see that, Legolas?" Elladan pointed. "What is it?"  
  
"It looks like. . .a person!" he exclaimed. "Let's go get a closer look." The two ran one, jumping and clambering over rocks and such. They finally reached someone face-down in the mud. Pointed ears proclaimed her an Elf, though one ear was inflamed and blistered. Half of her hair seemed to be missing, her clothing was in tatters, but she seemed to be alive, at the least. "She's breathing," Legolas observed.  
  
"We should get her to my father," Elladan said, "she definitely is not well, maybe even dying." And with that he stood, taking the girl in his arms, and sprinted as fast as he could back to the heart of Imladris, to find Lord Elrond. "Ada!" Elladan screamed, making his way to the halls of healing. Legolas was a short way behind Elladan, adrenaline not pumping in his veins.  
  
"Elladan, there is no need to shout--" Elrond began, but as soon as he saw his son he knew that this was untrue. Effortlessly he took the body of the girl from Elladan and stepped back into the hall he had left moments before. Elladan and Legolas followed close behind.  
  
"Is she going to live?" Elladan asked. Legolas wondered what his friend cared if she lived or died, it was not as though they knew her.  
  
"She is alive now, Elladan, though perhaps not for very much longer," Elrond replied, already having located and identified the girl's primary injuries. Her face was burned along the left cheek, luckily not the optical nerves, as was her ear. A portion of her hair had been singed off.  
  
"But you can help her, right?" Elladan asked, nervous.  
  
"I can do that, Elladan," Elrond replied, treating the burn on the girl's face as gently as possible. As if just remembering, he turned to the Elflings and said, "Perhaps it would be best for both of you to leave." And, of course, but "perhaps" Elrond meant "most certainly and do not question this decree".  
  
As soon as the two were out of the room Elrond sighed audibly. The burns he could treat, and the other injuries as well, but the girl had suffered some psychological trauma. Her arms showed bruises of the sort that generally were results of a struggle, and Elrond had a sinking feeling that he knew just what sort of struggle it had been.  
  
Meanwhile, Legolas kicked at loose pebbles as Elladan sat with his head between his knees. "How much does it matter to you if she is well?" Legolas asked. "Was she a friend or a relative of yours?"  
  
Elladan lifted his head to meet his friend's gaze. "It matters?" he asked, one eyebrow raised slightly. "She was somebody's friend or relative. That is all I need to know."  
  
"But you are so worried!" Legolas exclaimed.  
  
"She is a person, Legolas! Someone to someone, all right? I care if she lives or dies because somebody out there cares. If we had not found her, carried her back here, do you think no one would mourn her passing?"  
  
It occurred then to Legolas that his friend must have seen someone else die, and witnessed or experienced the sorrow of such a loss. "Hey. . ." Legolas said, sitting down beside his friend.  
  
"You just do not understand," Elladan sighed.  
  
"That is so," Legolas agreed. "Who was it?"  
  
Elladan rubbed his face. "No one I ever met. Ada still cries at night, though."  
  
"Who does he cry for?" Legolas inquired softly.  
  
"Someone named Elros," Elladan said with a shake of his head. "But, Legolas, does it not affect you, this knowledge? Someone like my father, so blatantly grieved by something that happened ages ago?"  
  
Legolas thought on this for a long time in silence, before saying, "She will be all right, Elladan." He did not understand why he should be affected so by the idea of Elrond's misery, except that he felt some pity for Elrond and for Elladan. 


	6. I've Got To

Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or any characters and/or places thereof  
  
Len: Elrohir was in the library. He shows up in this chapter, though.  
  
AF Girl: Thanks!  
  
Magicchick: Thanks--I should hate to have a boring story.  
  
Estelweo: Ah, well. . .yeah, I don't usually proofread. If I do, I usually think the chapter is terrible and delete the entire thing. As for religion, well, it's just the way I am.  
  
Passion Lover: He's not heartless, just a little freaked out. Anyway, what better way to jumpstart a heart than true love? Hehehe.  
  
Iamawriter: Thanks!  
  
Bloomin_nicki: Thanks. As for what happens next, even I don't know!  
  
Lux Aeterna: Thanks.  
  
Author's note: Sorry this chapter is so short and took so long to get posted. . .I'll try to do better in the future.  
  
*****  
  
Mirnim was floating through an emptiness so intense and complete, she could hardly even think of leaving it. She felt whole again, not at all dazed and scarred as she had felt in the real world. The darkness was almost a comfort, embracing her, nurturing her. In the darkness she did not feel the need to run and hide. She did not plan to leave the darkness, perhaps not ever.  
  
"Elrohir, where have you been?" Legolas asked. "You have missed out on something of an adventure!"  
  
"I was in the library," replied the newly arrived Elrohir. The sun had set, and Elladan and Legolas had moved indoors. Elladan sat on his bed and Legolas stood by the window, both wondering how the girl was, though Elladan caring somewhat more than Legolas.  
  
Disappointed that Elrohir did not inquire about the "adventure", Legolas continued, "Elladan and I found a girl by the river today."  
  
"A girl?" Elrohir's head shot up. At least that caught his interest. "What do you mean, you 'found a girl by the river'?"  
  
"She was unconscious," Legolas explained, very much enjoying recounting the tale. "Elladan and I found her body and brought her to your father. We have heard nothing of her since."  
  
Mirnim knew. It was not a sudden realization, nor was it a slow one, the knowledge was simply in her mind. This knowledge, of course, was that the void she was floating through would not sustain her for long. After a time, a rather short time, the void would be the death of her. She had no choice but to awaken, unless she wished to die.  
  
Elrohir shrugged, and said, "At least that means that she is still alive." He was also worried for her safety, but his mind was elsewhere.  
  
Legolas truly wished Elrohir would show some interest in the mysterious appearance of the girl. "Half her face was burned off," he said, hoping to snare Elrohir in the gruesome details. Elladan, however, did not agree with the morality of this attempt.  
  
"She had burn blisters on the left side of her face, and her hair had been singed off, also on the left," Elladan put in to silence Legolas. He added, "Would you please take this seriously, Legolas? She is a person, not a story for you to draw attention to yourself with."  
  
Suddenly the emptiness she had moved so easily and gracefully through was thick and forbidding. It took all her effort just to twitch. Something kept her in the nothingness, the empty space. "No," she said, unwilling to give in. "You cannot take my life from me!" It was a hard fight against the once- emptiness. Suddenly what was nothing was stronger than anything.  
  
"I know," Legolas replied, sounding earnest. "I am sorry, this is just my way of dealing with the. . . the stress of this situation."  
  
"Just quit treating her like a badge," Elladan replied, "it is wrong and you know it."  
  
Mirnim's energy was fading fast. Soon exhaustion would take her, but until then she would fight tooth and nail. Sweat covered her. The darkness was winning.  
  
"I will," Legolas said. "I hardly realized you were so bothered by this, Elladan."  
  
Mirnim blinked, then opened her eyes. 


End file.
